Thunderous Victory Follows Lightning Delayed Loss
Women’s Soccer Wins Regional Game After Tough Defeat
(Troy, NY / Holyoke, MA) - The Lady Cougars soccer team played back-to-back games this past Thursday and Friday, earning a lopsided win in their first regional match up the day after a loss in a long, lightning-delayed contest. The Cougars were victorious on Friday against New England opponent Bunker Hill CC, winning 11-0 in the offensive outburst. The win followed a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Hudson Valley CC (NY) the night before, when the Cougars gave up the game-deciding goal on a penalty kick with just three minutes left to play in regulation. In a game that could have easily gone in either team's favor, the Cougars endured a tough ending to a long, cold, rainy game, which was delayed over 40 minutes due to lightning.
Several players found their way onto the score sheet in Friday's regional victory, with team leading scorer Cassidy Snyder (Holyoke, MA / Smith Academy) converting a hat trick. Jessica Patruno (Granby, MA/ Granby HS) and Shannon McCarthy (Chicopee, MA / Chicopee Comprehensive HS) each scored a pair of goals while Miranda Grochowski (Westfield, MA / Westfield HS) scored once to go along with an impressive three assists. McKenzie Wilson (South Hadley, MA / Smith Academy) and Catherine Hotham (Southampton, MA / Hampshire Regional HS) each scored and added a helper and Madison Zollo (Monson, MA / Monson HS) had two assists. Allison Zollo (Monson, MA / Monson HS) had the Cougars' other goal and goalkeeper Maddisin Atkinson (Easthampton, MA / Smith Vocational HS) earned her third shutout of the season. In Thursday's loss, Karina Volpe (Easthampton, MA / Easthampton HS) scored the Cougars' most spectacular goal of the season with a brilliant header off of Emma Gomes' (Ludlow, MA / Ludlow HS) corner kick. Gomes scored a sensational goal of her own to go along with her assist from the corner. Tamara Nicholson (Chicopee, MA / Chicopee HS) played in her first game of the season on Thursday and was on the field for just four minutes when she assisted Gomes' goal. Nicholson also added an assist Friday.
The Lady Cougars are 3-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the New England region. Next up for Holyoke is an important home game this Wednesday at 4pm that will see local New England rival Springfield Technical CC come to O'Connell Field. The two teams share a long, storied history and rivalry; the sides met in last year's New England championship game with the Cougars emerging victorious by a 4-0 score. Let's go Cougars!!
Photos: (Main) Karina Volpe takes a throw in during a game from earlier this season. (Thumbnail) Miranda Grochowski looks to make a pass to Jessica Patruno in a early season game.
